Abstract. This project concerns fabrication of identical disc-shaped particles in the ~300 to 1000 nm diameter size range and of small and uniform thickness (ranging from 10 to 50 nm, approximately), and study of their light scattering when immersed in a liquid and oriented by an AC electric field. Our team includes an expert in particle fabrication and properties measurements (Ruoff), and in electrodynamics and fluid dynamics modeling (Schatz and Patankar, respectively). The fluid mechanics, electrodynamics, and light scattering studies of this effort are forefront science, and fabrication of the particle size and type in sufficient quantity is a challenging nano-engineering problem. This work will lead to understanding of the electrokinetics of the interaction of an AC field and particles of appropriate size to well scatter visible light, and the interaction of light with such particles. The understanding that will be generated should be of immense interest to the colloid, fluid dynamics, particle fabrication, and light scattering communities.
